Served areas

Since my last review of The Merry Fellow in 2011, the pub has changed hands at least twice and has undergone two refurbishments.
The exterior of the pub is still a cheerful yellow colour, but any resemblance to the description of the interior circa 2011, ends at the front door. The Merry Fellow has been given a modern makeover, the problem with modern refurbishments, is they strip once characterful pubs of any individuality, thus leaving them with little distinction from half a dozen other pubs in Cheltenham.
My most recent visit to the Merry Fellow, was on a quiet Wednesday afternoon. I made my way to the bar, and was greeted by a friendly barman. It is comforting to know that at least one aspect of the pub remains the same, the Merry Fellow’s reputation for being a friendly pub. At the time of writing, there were three ales on offer, Purity's Mad Goose, Bath Gem and Sharp’s Doom Bar. I opted for a diet coke!
I asked if I could sit in the beer garden. As the weather was flitting from being sunny, to the promise of rain, the helpful barman mentioned that he could supply some cushions for the wicker furniture, if I wanted to sit there, but I opted to sit on the wooden furniture. The garden is separated into two areas, a patio with the wicker furniture, and a grassed area with wooden tables, chairs and benches. The garden is a pleasant place to sit, but alas there is no enthusiastic pub dog anymore! The skittle alley has been converted into a restaurant, which looks out onto the patio.
At the time of writing, I will give the newly refurbished Merry Fellow a provisional 6 rating. This is only because I arrived at a quiet time, and the pub was not operating to its full potential I look forward to returning and perhaps sampling some of the food. The menu looks tempting!

I have Pubs Galore to thank for the discovery of this delightful pub. If I had not noticed it listed in the Charlton Kings section, I would never have known of it's existence. Charlton Kings is an area of Cheltenham that I rarely visit, which is a pity because it is a very picturesque place. Populated with wisteria covered houses, quaint shops and winding streets.
Everything about Merryfellows suggests a warm welcome – from the cheerful yellow exterior, to the lively chatter of the customers, to the enthusiastic pub dog!
I will be honest and say that the interior of the pubs is at odds with the chocolate box exterior, it does need a little TLC - the best word to descibe it would be unpretentious. But this minor issue was soon forgotten, when the friendly barman engaged me in conversation. He certainly put me at ease.
Another pleasant surprise was the beer garden – not a blade of grass in sight, but very well equipped, consisting of two huge tables and two equally large umbrellas and surrounded by normal sized tables. Anyone could enjoy a drink here